Acres & Acres play Parkindale Hall

With a band name like Acres and Acres, one immediately conjures up visions of endless fields of green under crystal clear blue skies with nary a motorized vehicle in sight.

Practically speaking though, the Halifax-based Acres and Acres would actually be the perfect soundtrack to such a picturesque scene, with their folk/roots-inspired music leading the way.

Comprised of New Brunswick native Kris Pope and bandmate Dave Scholten, both guys had previously played together in Down With The Butterfly, an East Coast Music Award-nominated rock band. Citing a deep nurtured desire to get back to basics with music, Pope and Scholten struck out on their own and thus Acres and Acres was born.

“I think it was a natural progression that led Kris and I to want to strike out on our own,” Scholten begins. “We began writing a lot of material together and soon found out that we were writing a different kind of song (compared to Down With The Butterfly). We work pretty well as a songwriting team and I think we discovered those complementary roles when we were playing with Down With The Butterfly.”

“Also, it’s nice to shake it up and do something different,” Pope elaborates. “That way, music stays interesting and you will continue to be excited to play it for people.”

Though Down With The Butterfly has not officially been iced, both Pope and Scholten have made Acres and Acres their primary project for the time being. The duo has been busy promoting their debut effort All Nations throughout Canada, including having celebrated the release of their record in cities like Toronto and Vancouver while travelling via train. This isn’t to say that only major Canadian cities get love from Acres and Acres however; the group has also invested a significant amount of time playing off-the-beaten-path towns and venues as well.

“Our music seems to really connect with small towns, outdoor festivals, theatres and any shows where the community is heavily involved which also happens in big cities with small communities,” Pope says. “We also seem to be drawn to environmentally themed-festivals like Earth Hour, Sustainability Festivals and the Peterborough Folk Fest, which features a solar-powered stage. This is what I love about what we do.”

With All Nations nearing the two-year-old mark, both Pope and Scholten say that they have a wealth of new material waiting to be recorded. Scholten says that with any luck, the duo’s next record should be released in the New Year.

“Our new material has a lot of energy,” Pope says. “We can’t wait to get our new record done and released!”